DIMA Annual Report 1996-97

Sub-program 1.1: Research and Statistics

Objective

To inform on policy development and discussion on migration, population and multicultural issues, including through the provision of accessible and relevant statistics, research and information services.

Description

The sub-program provides a range of data, research and information services to the Minister and the Department upon which policy and operational decisions are made. Sources include the departmental library, the Research Program, and statistics and other data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Department.

The sub-program is also responsible for producing and disseminating a number of publications and other information products.

The sub-program is delivered by the Research and Statistics Branch.

Financial and staffing resources summary

	1996-97 Budget and AEs $'000s	1996-97 Actual $'000s	1995-96 Actual $'000s
Budgetary (cash) basis
Components of appropriations
Annual appropriations
Running costs	3 098	4 959	6 207
Other program costs	50	50	50
Total appropriations	3 148	5 009	6 257
Less adjustments	75	224	89
Total outlays	3 073	4 785	6 168
Total revenue	-	-	-
Staffing
Staff years (actual)	26	36	54

Performance information

Outcomes are measured by the extent to which research, statistics and information services:

1. meet the needs of the Minister and the Portfolio; and
2. are accessible, so that public discussion is better informed on migration, population and multicultural issues.

Performance outcomes

Most activity focused on managing and producing research reports commissioned by the former Bureau of Immigration, Multicultural and Population Research (the Branch continues much of the core work formerly undertaken by the Bureau, whose Melbourne office formally closed on 15 November 1996); ongoing management of the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (LSIA) and the release of associated information; production of a range of statistical publications and services; provision of library services; and the development of a Business Plan to produce a more focused strategy for better meeting portfolio research and statistics needs.

(i) Needs of the Minister and the Portfolio

The LSIA remained the central research activity of the Portfolio. It is designed to provide reliable data for Commonwealth and other agencies to monitor and evaluate immigration and settlement policies, programs and services, and to provide a basis for the development of future policies.

It is the most comprehensive survey of immigrants undertaken and, because of its longitudinal methodology, it avoids many of the pitfalls and potential allegations of speculative or unsubstantiated research findings that haunt many research endeavours.

The LSIA began in March 1994 and is collecting data on some 5 000 recently-arrived immigrant households for use in policy and program evaluation and planning.

It seeks information about immigrants' expectations of life in Australia, as well as demographic and geographic details including information on changes of residence, health, education, English proficiency, labour force status, recognition of qualifications, financial support, housing and citizenship.

Significant use has been made of LSIA data to date, by the Department and other government agencies. Some examples are:

• an analysis of data on labour force experience as a basis for revising the migration program;
• input into an economic model of the relative financial costs and benefits to the Commonwealth Government of different categories of immigration;
• analysis of the effect different migration categories have on the demand for housing;
• analysis of the role of sponsors in spouse and fiancé migration; and
• analysis of the role of sponsors in the settlement of immigrants.

The Australian Population, Immigration and Multicultural Research Program, which operates within this sub-program, is a joint program of the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers responsible for immigration and ethnic affairs.

It examines a wide variety of population and settlement issues to assist in policy formulation and assessment.

The program produced three volumes of the Atlas of the Australian People and five LSIA-based reports on:

• Initial Location Decisions of Immigrants;
• Initial Labour Market Experiences of Immigrants;
• Immigrant Health and the Use of Medical Services;
• Assessment of Overseas Qualifications; and
• Usage and Accessibility of Interpreters and Translators.

While no new research was commissioned, the number of research reports published surpassed by 20 per cent the number published during the Bureau of Immigration, Multicultural and Population Research's (BIMPR) final year of operation. This increase was achieved through a combination of the special efforts of staff and the adoption of in-house editing and advanced digital publishing technology. This has also resulted in necessary cost savings.

The sub-program finalised and published 42 research reports and initiated a new internal bidding round for research proposals for 1997-98. It also sought to enter into research partnerships with several external agencies to access other research funds that may be available from non-portfolio sources.

The closure of the BIMPR resulted in a rationalisation of the Department's library services and a refocusing of its core activities to meet the portfolio's information needs.

The library arranged some 789 incoming loans, 257 inter-library loans, provided responses to another 3 853 internal and external inquiries, and added 1 010 new items to its collection.

(ii) Accessibility

Summaries of research reports were made freely available on the Internet and the departmental fax-on-demand system for the first time.

Reports are available to the public through major libraries and are also sold directly by the Department and the Australian Government Publishing Service (AGPS).

The sub-program sought to be at the forefront in the use of the Internet and other new electronic systems, given the opportunities they present for both the dissemination of information and the selling of products.

A new distribution arrangement was finalised with the AGPS which guarantees the availability of reports through Government Info Shops around Australia and now provides a financial return to the Department.

The sub-program has developed three electronic statistical products to further enhance the availability and utility of data holdings:

• Where In The World provides settler arrival data by birthplace, migration category and State of intended residence;
• Migrants At Work provides settler arrival data by occupation and State of intended residence; and
• BLAR provides data on birthplace, language and religion drawn from the 1991 census.

The sub-program provides statistical support for the Department's policy and operational functions and disseminates information on migration, population and multicultural issues to other government agencies and the community in general.

It acquires and analyses relevant statistical data, produces a large range of standard tables, publishes statistical reports and provides a general statistics inquiries service.

The sub-program published a quarterly Immigration Update, three migration statistical reports and handled 2 602 statistical requests.

Chart 1: Statistical requests

The reason for the recent decline in requests for statistical data include the introduction of a charge for this service from 1992-93, the wider public dissemination of statistical information by the Department in both hard copy and electronic forms, and the reduced currency of Census data in the years following its release.

The Multicultural Australia and Immigration Studies (MAIS) database was updated, reloaded onto the National Library's OZLINE system, added to the AUSTROM CD-ROM, and made available on-line throughout the Department. Some 1 782 new records were added to the database, bringing the total to 30 580.

The library also supervised the transfer of the Melbourne library holdings to Canberra or, where copies were already held in Canberra, to the Victoria University of Technology (Footscray) which was assessed as being the most suitable repository, given its existing position as a major centre of information on immigration and portfolio related matters outside Canberra.

Chart 2: Library inquiries

The Minister has made extensive use of statistical data and the research findings, especially during the community consultations on the size and nature of the migration program. An extensive collection of Fact Sheets produced by the Public Affairs Section of the Department draws heavily on research findings and statistical data developed in this sub program.

A new bibliography, Migrants and Racism 1990-1996, was published and Racial Discrimination in Australia was reprinted as a companion bibliography.

A second edition of Immigration and the Australian Economy was published, summarising and analysing the available literature and research to date.

The general information Understanding... series was completed with books covering ...Australia's Ethnic Composition, ...Australia's Population Debate, ...Racism in Australia, ...Australian Settlement Services, ...Australian Multiculturalism, ...Internal Migration, and ...Citizenship in Australia.

The sub-program completed a series of Religious Profiles, examining Australia's 12 major religions, using Census data. Profiles of Anglicans, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Hindus and Sikhs, Pentecostals and Presbyterians were published.

Outlook for 1997-98

As part of its transitional arrangements from the BIMPR, the Research and Statistics Branch underwent a major review process leading to the development of a Business Plan. This plan, adopted in March 1997, is outcomes oriented and has established a common strategic approach to the tasks before the Branch. In addition to establishing clear priorities, the Business Plan has enabled the Branch to become more client focused with its products being developed to meet the needs of the Minister and the Portfolio.

The Business Plan has better positioned the sub-program both to conduct a more targeted research program in 1997-98 and provide relevant, accurate and timely statistical data and other information to meet client needs. It is a forward-looking document, with the majority of activities scheduled in 1997-98. Key outcomes sought include:

• a timely and high quality response to client inquiries;
• professionally conducted and informative research reports responding to specific research requirements;
• a high quality, effective and relevant statistical service; and
• the production and distribution of high quality information.

The Business Plan will be reviewed and updated every six months to keep it relevant to the ongoing work of the sub-program. While it has been in place for only three months, the Business Plan has already led to a more strategic focus on the use of the Internet for disseminating factual information produced by the sub-program, as well as capitalising on it as a marketing vehicle for the sale of publications and other departmental products.

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